Rail joint

ABSTRACT

A rail joint comprising a pair of juxtaposed rail ends, each having a cut-out extending from an end face of each rail into the latter, and being defined by a first face parallel to a longitudinal symmetry plane of the rail, and a second face transverse thereto, said first faces of the pair of rail ends abut against each other, said second faces being parallel and spaced apart, and further comprising bevel cuts respectively extending from the end face and the second face of each rail upwardly to substantially a point on the outer edges of the respective rail.

lJnite States i' lzii Lopez 1451 Dec. 3, 1974 RAlL JOINT Primary ExaminerM.' Henson Wood Jr. [76] Inventor: Jose Juncosa Lopez, Po de la Y Y Habana NO. 80 Madrid Spain Assistant Examiner-Richard A. Bertsch Attorney, Agent, or FirmMichael S. Striker [22] Filed: Jan. 17, 1973 21 Appl No; 324,519 [57] ABSTRACT A rail joint comprising a pair of juxtaposed rail ends,

[30] Foreign Applicafianlpriority Data each having a cut-out extending from an end face of Jan. 21, 1972 Spain 181885 ea h rail into the latter, and being defined by a first face parallel to a longitudinal symmetryplane of the [52] US. Cl. 238/230 r il, and a econd face transverse thereto, said first [51] Int. Cl Ellll) 11/00 fa e of the pair of rail ends abut against each other, [58] Field of Search 238/242, 230-237 said second faces being parallel and spaced apart, and

further comprising bevel cuts respectively extending References Cited from the end face and the second face of each rail up- UNITED STATES PATENTS wardly to substantially a point on the outer edges of 1,477,838 12/1923 Mayot tc .j 238/231 the respectwe Fall 1,937,075 11/1933 Walker ....23s/231 5D F 2,472,446 6/1949 Standfast 238/230 Wawmg u PATENTEL 74 mnurz PATENIELUEB 31974 WIZBFZ RAIL JOINT This invention relates the description of a joint for avoiding wheel clatter in rail joints.

As is well known, in the joints between sections of rails in a railroad track, a separation or gap is left between the ends of the rail sections for the purpose of absorbing expansion or contraction to which the rail sections are subject because of the ambient temperature.

Obviously said separation or gap supposes a complete interruption in the running surface of the rails which produces the steady clatter which is noticeable in any trip by train. Such clatter, besides being annoying to the travelers, has other consequences, such as producing depressions in the tracks andnotably causing fatigue of the materials in the suspension and rolling mechanisms of the cars, with an appreciable repercussion in the maintenance costs.

Currently attempts to avoid such difficulties are made by reducing as much as possible the gaps by means of welding the rails, withthe corresponding increase in railroad installation costs. Actually, by eliminating the gaps, an increase in the means of securing the rails to the ground is made necessary (greater volume of ballast bed and greater number of ties per unit of track length). If these means are not provided for, deformation of the track would be provoked, since the rails, of not being able to expand or contract freely when their temperatures vary for lack of gaps, become subjected to high longitudinal tensions tending to warp straight stretches and to cause sidewise shifting on the curves.

This invention has as its objective permitting the use of rails in simple sections, as in the conventional system, and the complete elimination of wheel clatter on the joints between sections, without the difficulties that arise from welding the rails.

In accordance with the invention, the facing ends of the rails terminate in a lateral notch arranged in a suitable position so that the gap is divided in two'sections starting from the two center faces which coincide with the longitudinal axis plane of the rail.

By means of such an arrangement the wheel is made to rest on half of the running surface while passing over the half-gap. On the other hand, in reference to absorbing the expansion, this joint is equivalent to the conventional one For the sake of facilitating a better interpretation of the invention, the attached drawings are presented complementary to this declaration, and a practical method of realization is represented which is only ineluded for the purpose of being informative and is not meant to limit the invention.

In the aforementioned drawings:

FIG. 1 shows an elevational view of two rails joined by means of a joint made according to this invention.

FIG. 2 shows an overhead view of the same joint. FIG. 3 shows a section through IIIIII of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show in perspective the arrangement of the two ends of the rails suitably cut to form the joint according to the invention.

In FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, ajoint'is shown between the rails (1 and 2) made according to the invention, for. which, employing the most suitable means, the ends of the two rails are proceeded to be cut so they form in each one a notch formed by two perpendicular surfaces between themselves, of which one is coincident with the plane Also, on the running surfaces 3 and5 corresponding to each projecting part of the end of each section and on the part corresponding to the edge of the tranverse surface bevel cuts are made 7 as can be appreciated with more clarity in FIG. 4.

The fastening between the rails in the joint is done by employing conventional means, such as fish-plates 8 and bolts 9. v

The joint made in this way gives continual support to the wheel of the car, since in its middle part, both joined ends serve, each one, as a running half-surface, identical to the rails running surface and in the part corresponding to the gaps there is always a running.

half-surface.

In order to avoid small knocks that could be produced because of defects in the slope of the rail with regard to the theoretical longitudinal axis of the tie, the previously mentioned. bevel cuts 7 are included.

These bevel cuts and notches described are fundamental characteristics of this joint, being inseparable; they do not act individually for the disappearance of the wheel clatter, which achieved by their combined action.

With the nature of the new joint sufficiently described, as well as an example of its practical realization, it is only necessary to add that'in said example it is possible to introduce changes in materials, forms and arrangements of its component elements, provided'that such alterations do not suppose a substantial variation in its object.

I claim:

I. A rail joint comprising a pair of juxtaposed rail ends each having an upper running surface and an outer side face, a cutout extending from an end face of each rail into the latter and being defined by a face parallel to .a longitudinal plane of symmetry of the rail, and a second face transverse thereto, said first faces of the pair of rail ends abut against each other, said second faces being parallel and spaced apart, and further .com-

prising plane triangular shaped truncations respectively extending from said end face and said second face of each rail obliquely along a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of said rail, and tapering to substantially a point ,on the intersection of the running surface with the outer side face of the respective rail.

2. A r-ail joint as defined in claim 1, wherein said first face is coincident with said longitudinal symmetry plane.

3. A rail joint as defined in claim 1, wherein said transverse face is normal to said symmetry plane.

4. A rail joint as defined in claim 1, wherein said bevel cuts extend to said longitudinal plane of symmetry.

5. A rail joint as defined in claim 1, further comprising fish plates with openings therein to receive bolts, attached to at least a portion of the outer side faces and serving to hold said first faces in contact with each other. 

1. A rail joint comprising a pair of juxtaposed rail ends each having an upper running surface and an outer side face, a cutout extending from an end face of each rail into the latter and being defined by a face parallel to a longitudinal plane of symmetry of the rail, and a second face transverse thereto, said first faces of the pair of rail ends abut against each other, said second faces being parallel and spaced apart, and further comprising plane triangular shaped truncations respectively extending from said end face and said second face of each rail obliquely along a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of said rail, and tapering to substantially a point on the intersection of the running surface with the outer side face of the respective rail.
 2. A rail joint as defined in claim 1, wherein said first face is coincident with said longitudinal symmetry plane.
 3. A rail joint as defined in claim 1, wherein said transverse face is normal to said symmetry plane.
 4. A rail joint as defined in claim 1, wherein said bevel cuts extend to said longitudinal plane of symmetry.
 5. A rail joint as defined in claim 1, further comprising fish plates with openings therein to receive bolts, attached to at least a portion of the outer side faces and serving to hold said first faces in contact with each other. 